NameCensus.

UK surname

Keogh

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Eochu," meaning "horse" or "knight," likely referring to a skilled horseman.

In the 1881 census there were 678 people recorded with the Keogh surname, ranking it #5,310 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 4,111, ranked #1,649, up from #5,310 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to London parishes, Manchester and Liverpool. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Brent, Summerston North and Rochdale.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Keogh is 4,174 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 506.3%.

1881 census count

678

Ranked #5,310

Modern count

4,111

2016, ranked #1,649

Peak year

2014

4,174 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Keogh had 678 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #5,310 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 4,111 in 2016, ranked #1,649.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 988 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Challenged Communities.

Keogh surname distribution map

The map shows where the Keogh surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Keogh surname density by area, 1881 census.

Loading map
Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Keogh over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 172 #11,682
1861 historical 236 #10,393
1881 historical 678 #5,310
1891 historical 749 #5,317
1901 historical 875 #5,242
1911 historical 988 #4,579
1997 modern 3,814 #1,701
1998 modern 3,885 #1,734
1999 modern 4,002 #1,699
2000 modern 3,948 #1,718
2001 modern 3,887 #1,704
2002 modern 3,985 #1,695
2003 modern 3,870 #1,711
2004 modern 3,850 #1,725
2005 modern 3,820 #1,710
2006 modern 3,835 #1,707
2007 modern 3,861 #1,708
2008 modern 3,930 #1,688
2009 modern 4,022 #1,689
2010 modern 4,141 #1,678
2011 modern 4,082 #1,673
2012 modern 4,020 #1,671
2013 modern 4,139 #1,651
2014 modern 4,174 #1,650
2015 modern 4,110 #1,655
2016 modern 4,111 #1,649

Geography

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Where Keoghs are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around London parishes, Manchester, Liverpool and Bradford. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Brent, Summerston North, Rochdale, Gourock Upper and West Central and Upper Larkfield and Halton. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 London parishes London 1
2 London parishes London 3
3 Manchester Lancashire
4 Liverpool Lancashire
5 Bradford Yorkshire, West Riding

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Brent 027 Brent
2 Summerston North Glasgow City
3 Rochdale 022 Rochdale
4 Gourock Upper and West Central and Upper Larkfield Inverclyde
5 Halton 013 Halton

Forenames

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First names often paired with Keogh

These lists show first names that appear often with the Keogh surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Keogh

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Keogh, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Baseline UK

Group

Challenged Communities

Nationally, the Keogh surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Challenged Communities, within Baseline UK. This does not mean every Keogh household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Residents of these neighbourhoods typically live in households with dependent children, and there are fewer-than-average residents of normal retirement age or over. Identification with ethnic minorities, particularly Black, or Mixed or Multiple ethnicities is common. The rate of Christian religious affiliation is low. Housing predominantly consists of semi-detached houses, along with a significant number of terraced properties and flats. Overcrowded social housing is common, and private renting occurs at average UK levels. Those in employment work mainly in caring leisure and other services; process, plant and machine operation; or elementary occupations. Unemployment is high, and few individuals have degree level qualifications. Many of these neighbourhoods occur in commuter towns or less accessible areas of larger towns and cities.

Wider pattern

This Supergroup exemplifies the broad base to the UK’s social structure, encompassing as it does the average or modal levels of many neighbourhood characteristics, including all housing tenures, a range of levels of educational attainment and religious affiliations, and a variety of pre-retirement age structures. Yet, in combination, these mixes are each distinctive of the parts of the UK. Overall, terraced houses and flats are the most prevalent, as is employment in intermediate or low-skilled occupations. However, this Supergroup is also characterised by above average levels of unemployment and lower levels of use of English as the main language. Many neighbourhoods occur in south London and the UK’s other major urban centres.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Skilled Trades and Construction Workers

Within London, Keogh is most associated with areas classed as Skilled Trades and Construction Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

These scattered, peripheral and often low residential density neighbourhoods house more workers in skilled trades and construction. Few households rent social housing and there are few students. Multiple car ownership is higher than the Supergroup average, perhaps because of poorer public transport connectivity. Incidence of mixed or multiple ethnicity is below the Supergroup average, and the absence of individuals identifying as Pakistani or Other Asian groups is also less pronounced. Flatted accommodation is less dominant than elsewhere in the Supergroup.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Keogh is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Keogh falls in decile 1 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

1
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Keogh is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 50-60 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

8
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - Irish

This describes the area pattern most associated with Keogh, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Keogh

The surname Keogh has its origins in Ireland and is derived from the Irish Gaelic word 'Eochadha', meaning 'horse-servant' or 'horse-keeper'. This name was initially given as a descriptive term to someone who worked with horses or tended to them.

In the early medieval period, the name Keogh was concentrated in County Carlow and County Kilkenny, located in the southeast of Ireland. The Keoghs were part of the Gaelic nobility and played a prominent role in the area's history.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Keogh can be found in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history. In this text, the Keoghs are mentioned as belonging to the Uí Bairrche, a powerful family in Leinster.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Keogh family faced significant challenges due to the Tudor and Cromwellian conquests of Ireland. Many Keoghs were dispossessed of their lands and forced to relocate. Despite these hardships, the name persevered.

Notable individuals with the surname Keogh include John Keogh (1650-1726), an Irish Catholic lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Enniscorthy. Another prominent figure was John Keogh (1681-1754), a Catholic theologian and writer who published works on the history of Ireland.

In the 19th century, John Keogh (1817-1878) was a prominent Irish nationalist politician and Member of Parliament for Athlone. He played a significant role in the campaign for Irish Home Rule.

The name Keogh has also been associated with places in Ireland. For example, Keoghville, a village in County Westmeath, takes its name from the Keogh family who were once landowners in the area.

While the Keogh name has spread globally due to Irish emigration, its roots can be traced back to the ancient Gaelic families of Ireland, particularly in the southeastern counties of Carlow and Kilkenny.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Keogh families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Keogh surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Lancashire leads with 253 Keoghs recorded in 1881 and an index of 3.20x.

County Total Index
Lancashire 253 3.20x
Middlesex 78 1.17x
Yorkshire 51 0.77x
Cheshire 50 3.39x
Surrey 34 1.05x
Lanarkshire 26 1.20x
Cumberland 20 3.48x
Northumberland 19 1.91x
Staffordshire 17 0.75x
Leicestershire 14 1.89x
Kent 11 0.48x
Cornwall 10 1.32x
Gloucestershire 10 0.76x
Norfolk 9 0.88x
Devon 8 0.58x
Essex 8 0.61x
Warwickshire 8 0.48x
Suffolk 6 0.74x
Channel Islands 5 2.53x
Sussex 5 0.44x
Buckinghamshire 4 0.99x
Durham 4 0.20x
Worcestershire 4 0.46x
Derbyshire 3 0.29x
Monmouthshire 3 0.62x
Renfrewshire 3 0.58x
Wiltshire 3 0.51x
Aberdeenshire 2 0.32x
Angus 2 0.32x
Argyllshire 2 1.08x
Berkshire 2 0.40x
Flintshire 2 1.12x
Hampshire 2 0.15x
Royal Navy 2 2.52x
Lincolnshire 1 0.09x
Nottinghamshire 1 0.11x
Perthshire 1 0.33x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. Liverpool in Lancashire leads with 37 Keoghs recorded in 1881 and an index of 7.69x.

Place Total Index
Liverpool 37 7.69x
Manchester 36 10.11x
Widnes 29 50.79x
Leeds 19 5.09x
Newcastle On Tyne All Sts 19 32.05x
Salford 19 8.16x
Cleator 18 75.28x
Ashton Under Lyne 15 8.67x
Everton 14 5.55x
Bradford 13 8.12x
Leicester St Mary 11 18.40x
Wolverhampton 11 6.35x
Islington London 10 1.55x
Lambeth 10 1.72x
Macclesfield 10 15.27x
Bowling 9 13.74x
Great Yarmouth 9 10.59x
Kenwyn 9 45.57x
Barony 8 1.46x
Birmingham 8 1.43x
Little Bolton 8 7.86x
Old Monkland 8 9.34x
Poulton Cum Seacombe 8 47.23x
St Luke London 8 7.48x
Toxteth Park 8 2.98x
Altrincham 7 27.21x
Bristol St James St Paul 7 16.04x
Moss Side 7 16.80x
Paddington London 7 2.85x
Runcorn 7 20.61x
Tottington Lower End 7 18.61x
Croydon 6 3.32x
Kirkdale 6 4.50x
Monks Coppenhall 6 10.80x
Over Darwen 6 9.49x
Plymouth St Andrew 6 5.61x
Shotts 6 23.24x
St Pancras London 6 1.12x
Sudbury St Peter 6 134.83x
Acton 5 12.78x
Battersea 5 2.04x
Birkenhead 5 4.26x
Canterbury St Mary 5 32.72x
Kensington London 5 1.35x
Pemberton 5 15.84x
St Martin In Fields 5 12.52x
Stafford St Mary 5 15.68x
West Ham 5 1.72x
Bootle Cum Linacre 4 6.36x
Brighton 4 1.76x
Castleton 4 5.06x
Kimberworth 4 10.90x
Shadforth 4 103.90x
St Michaelinthe Vale 4 56.66x
Walmersley Cum 4 31.62x
Walton On Hill 4 9.33x
West Derby 4 1.73x
Bermondsey 3 1.51x
Camberwell 3 0.70x
Chelsea London 3 1.49x
Clifton 3 4.53x
Dinton 3 188.68x
Dudley 3 2.83x
Eccleston In Prescot 3 7.55x
Farnworth 3 6.32x
Great Crosby 3 13.90x
Hackney London 3 0.80x
Hampstead London 3 2.89x
Horton In Bradford 3 2.91x
Lower Darwen 3 28.87x
Oldham 3 1.17x
St Marylebone London 3 0.84x
Tottenham 3 2.82x
West Greenock 3 3.23x
Witton 3 30.12x
Calne 2 16.46x
Chester St John Baptist 2 7.56x
Faversham 2 9.21x
St Dunstan In West London 2 96.15x
Westminster St Margaret 2 6.22x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Keogh surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 67
Catherine 22
Elizabeth 20
Margaret 19
Ellen 17
Ann 14
Annie 12
Bridget 11
Sarah 9
Hannah 7
Jane 7
Kate 7
Alice 4
Amelia 4
Amy 4
Julia 4
Louisa 4
Margt. 4
Teresa 4
Agnes 3
Anne 3
Eliza 3
Frances 3
Maria 3
Rose 3
Charlotte 2
Emily 2
Emma 2
Laura 2
Martha 2
Susan 2
Caroline 1
Cath. 1
Cather 1
Catherin 1
Elizth. 1
Ellin 1
Esther 1
Eunice 1
Florence 1
Francis 1
Jessie 1
Josephine 1
Julie 1
Letitia 1
Lillias 1
Louise 1
Lucy 1
Maggie 1
Violetta 1

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Keogh surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 47
James 32
Thomas 29
William 18
Patrick 16
Michael 15
Edward 14
Joseph 12
Peter 12
George 10
Martin 8
Daniel 5
Henry 5
Alfred 4
Cornelius 4
Denis 4
Dennis 4
Stephen 4
Thos. 4
Alexander 3
Andrew 3
Arthur 3
Charles 3
David 3
Frederick 3
Hugh 3
Lawrence 3
Mathew 3
Robert 3
Francis 2
Matthew 2
Moses 2
Owen 2
Richard 2
Wm. 2
Alfd.E. 1
Ann 1
C.G. 1
Chas.E. 1
Christopher 1
Duncan 1
Edmand 1
Edmund 1
Felix 1
Frank 1
Fred. 1
Fred.W. 1
Lawrance 1
Lynch 1
Margaret 1

FAQ

Keogh surname: questions and answers

How common was the Keogh surname in 1881?

In 1881, 678 people were recorded with the Keogh surname. That placed it at #5,310 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Keogh surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 4,111 in 2016. That gives Keogh a modern rank of #1,649.

What does the Keogh surname mean?

An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Eochu," meaning "horse" or "knight," likely referring to a skilled horseman.

What does the Keogh map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Keogh bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.